Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (31-17-14, 76 points, 3rd place Metropolitan Division) @ Carolina Hurricanes (35-22-5, 75 points, 5th place Atlantic Division)
Pittsburg, PA
Detroit Lions vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Live updates, highlights from preseason finale
Why Detroit Lion Giovanni Manu’s first NFL game was so special
Detroit Lion Giovanni Manu played in his first NFL game in August, 2024. That game was special because it was a chance to make his parents proud.
The final Detroit Lions preseason game has arrived.
The Lions take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field on Saturday afternoon in the final exhibition game of the preseason. It is the final chance for the coaching staff and front office to determine who will make the opening day 53-man roster for the season opener against the Rams in 15 days.
PREGAME READ: ‘Miracle child’ Mitchell Agude vying for spot with Detroit Lions years after accident
There aren’t many spots left up for grabs on the Lions’ contending-level roster, a testament to the roster overhaul in the last three seasons, but Campbell said earlier this week there were around a half-dozen slots still open. The Lions’ starters will rest, allowing young players and the depth pieces to fight for those spots. Here’s Dave Birkett’s prediction of what the 53-man roster may look like by the deadline at 4 p.m. on Tuesday if you are curious.
[ Lions fans: Get ready for this season by reliving the team’s epic 2023 season with a new book from the Free Press, “From Grit to Glory.” Order now! ]
This is the only preseason game this year at Ford Field and kicks off at 1 p.m. The game will be aired on Fox 2 in Detroit (WJBK) and streamed on NFL+ and Fubo (free trial) and the 97.1 WXYT-FM radio airwaves.
Follow along below for live updates from Ford Field.
Detroit Lions vs. Pittsburgh Steelers preseason live updates, highlights
The Lions have had no success on offense in the first half with Hendon Hooker running the show. The Lions went three-and-out again after a third-down sack sank the drive again. This time, left tackle Giovanni Manu was beaten off the edge, forcing Hooker to step up into edge rusher Julius Welschof, who beat center Kingsley Eguakun in the middle. The Lions have seven net yards after four possessions with two first downs and are 2/6 on third-down conversion attempts. The Lions have given up four sacks and Hooker has struggled to find a rhythm navigating the collapsing pocket.
The Steelers quickly turned the fumble into a touchdown to double up the Lions early. Justin Fields came into the game for the second series to replace Russell Wilson under center. The Steelers kept the ball on the ground for all but one play, methodically moving the ball through Lions territory outside of a 22-yard Fields completion to tight end MyCole Pruitt, who slipped behind linebacker Ty Summers while Fields was moving outside of the pocket. After a holding call against defensive tackle Brodric Martin on the goal line, Perine stuffed it home on a read option from a yard out.
Hendon Hooker, making his home debut with the Lions, got the start over Nate Sudfeld to lead the Lions backup offense, but the first possession did not go as planned. The Lions picked up one first down on a nice extended play by Hooker, finding tight end Shane Zylstra, but took three straight sacks on the next set of downs, including a strip sack on third down, giving the ball to Pittsburgh at Detroit’s 35. Herbig got around starting right tackle Colby Sorsdal and slapped Hooker’s arm while he was cocking to throw, jarring it loose.
The Steelers starting offense got things started with a 60-yard touchdown drive lasting just over two minutes. Starting quarterback Russell Wilson converted a 3rd-and-11 with a 32 yard gain on a flag route to George Pickens, who easily separated from corner Essang Bassey. Two plays later, Cordarrelle Patterson took an off-tackle run to the left and made Brandon Joseph miss for the big touchdown run.
Pregame notes
The Lions will roll with the quarterback duo of Nate Sudfeld and Hendon Hooker as the two continue to battle for the backup spot behind Jared Goff. Campbell said Tuesday the last preseason game is critical for Hooker, who will be playing in his third NFL game ever and had to leave the first preseason game early.
“We want to get (Hooker) a real good look,” Campbell said. “We’d love to get him a lot of reps this week. I think the idea would be, you’d love to start him this week. I’d like to start him, and then it’s just a matter of how much does he play? Is it a couple of series and Nate goes in and then he’s back? Or is it a quarter or is it a half? But he’s going to get a really good look.”
TRENDING: Parents of Detroit Lions draft pick Giovanni Manu witness son play in person for 1st time
Rookie Sione Vaki has been one of the early stars of the first two preseason games as a receiving option out of the backfield and should handle plenty of work against Pittsburgh along with Craig Reynolds, Zonovan Knight and Jermar Jefferson. The depth options at receiver behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond are fighting for a spot and the last game will determine who makes it between options like Donovan Peoples-Jones, Isaiah Williams and Daurice Fountain. The depth pieces on the offensive line, particularly the interior, will also be under a close look to find the last backup for Detroit’s top unit.
On defense, the main competition is at edge rusher and in the secondary. The final safety spot likely comes down to C.J. Moore and Brandon Joseph while Khalil Dorsey, Kindle Vildor and Steven Gilmore fight for a spot at cornerback. Isaac Ukwu, Mitchell Agude and Mathieu Betts will all get extensive playing time at edge to determine the final backups on the defensive line.
Pittsburg, PA
Steelers Add Year to Cam Heyward’s Contract, Creating Cap Space
The Pittsburgh Steelers finally have some clarity on Cameron Heyward’s short-term future with the team.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, the Steelers have added an extra year to Heyward’s deal. As a result, they freed up right around $5.5 million in cap space.
SOURCES: The Steelers have added a year to DE Cam Heyward’s contract, creating nearly $5.5 million in cap space. His new deal is worth $32.25 million over two years with the first year guaranteed.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) March 10, 2026
Heyward’s contract is now worth $32.25 million across two seasons, though only the first of those two years is guaranteed.
The reigning second-team All-Pro previously had one year left on his contract, which carried a cap hit of $19.150 million.
Heyward’s deal was a source of contention during training camp last summer, as the 15-year veteran looked to negotiate his contract after previously having agreed to a two-year, $29 million extension leading into the 2024 campaign.
The 36-year-old, who was a first-team All-Pro that year, later compromised with Pittsburgh after it added a little over $3 million in incentives to his contract before Week 1 of the 2025 season.
Over 17 games, Heyward recorded a total of 3.5 sacks and 78 tackles with a forced fumble.
With it appearing set in stone that he’ll return for the 2026 season after agreeing to his modified deal, the question now becomes whether or not Heyward will play out the duration of his contract through 2027.
What Could Steelers Do with Extra Money?
Pittsburgh was rather active both shortly before and immediately after the legal tampering period began, re-signing cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. and linebacker Cole Holcomb while also signing former Tampa Bay Buccaneers corner Jamel Dean and acquiring wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. via trade from the Indianapolis Colts, whom it immediately inked to a three-year, $59 million extension.
It’s been a bit quiet for the Steelers since that initial wave, however, with punter Cameron Johnston representing their only move on the second day of free agency.
There’s still plenty of names out there on the open market, and with needs remaining along the offensive line, at safety and receiver even after adding Pittman Jr., the action shouldn’t stop for Pittsburgh.
While quarterback remains the most substantial question mark for the Steelers on paper, the widespread assumption remains that Aaron Rodgers will eventually return to the franchise. When that decision will, or could, become official, though, is anyone’s best guess at the moment.
The money Pittsburgh saved by revising Heyward’s contract could help fill out its roster not only through free agency, but also via the 2026 NFL Draft now that it has 12 picks at its disposal upon being awarded four compensatory selections.
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Pittsburg, PA
Game Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Carolina Hurricanes 3/10/2026
How to Watch: Local broadcasts on FanDuel Sports Network South and SportsNet Pittsburgh, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins are heading out West later this week to play some late-night games against the Vegas Golden Knights (Thursday, 10 p.m. ET), Utah Mammoth (Saturday, 9 p.m. ET) and Colorado Avalanche (Monday, 9:30 p.m. ET). Then it’s back for a rematch with the Hurricanes in North Carolina next Wednesday.
Opponent Track: The Hurricanes are still on top of the Metro, and they’ve won seven of their last nine, but they’re coming off a loss in Calgary that featured a wild five-goal third period last Saturday.
Season Series: The Penguins won this last matchup 5-1 on Dec. 30. Next up is that road game next Wednesday, followed four days later by a 3 p.m. ET Sunday matinee in Pittsburgh.
Hidden Stat: The Penguins haven’t won in Carolina since March 2019. The visitors are 0-4-4 in eight matchups over that span.
Getting to know the Hurricanes
Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis
Taylor Hall – Logan Stankoven – Jackson Blake
Nikolaj Ehlers – Jordan Staal – Jordan Martinook
William Carrier – Mark Jankowski – Eric Robinson
Jaccob Slavin – Jalen Chatfield
K’Andre Miller – Sean Walker
Mike Reilly – Alexander Nikishin
Goalies: Brandon Bussi, Frederik Andersen
Potential scratches: Shayne Gostisbehere (day to day)
Injured Reserve: Charles-Alexis Legault, Pyotr Kochetkov, Nicolas Deslauriers
- Gostisbehere missed the Hurricanes’ Saturday loss to the Flames with a lower-body injury. Mike Reilly will likely slide out of this lineup if he is able to go.
- Nicolas Deslauriers has yet to make his Hurricanes debut since his trade from the Philadelphia Flyers. If the Canes decide to slot him into the lineup Monday night, he would slot into their fourth line.
- The Hurricanes have historically been a tough matchup for the Pens, but the Penguins could take some lessons from the Flames. Calgary got beaten on face-offs (52.5 percent to 47.5 percent) and 5-on-5 scoring chances (24 to 21) while holding strong on hits (26-20) and getting some nice saves from Dustin Wolf to claim a 5-4 win over the Canes on Saturday.

Egor Chinakhov – Rickard Rakell – Bryan Rust
Anthony Mantha – Tommy Novak – Ville Koivunen
Elmer Soderblom – Ben Kindel – Avery Hayes
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard / Ilya Solovyov
Goalies: Arturs Silovs, Stuart Skinner
Potential Scratches: Evgeni Malkin (suspended), Ryan Graves, Connor Clifton, Kevin Hayes, Justin Brazeau (day to day)
IR: Sidney Crosby, Filip Hallander
- Jack St. Ivany is off IR. He’s headed to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a conditioning loan, per Seth Rorabaugh.
- Justin Breazeau’s status is uncertain after he was sidelined against the Bruins on Sunday with a day-to-day upper-body injury.
- Today should also lead to more information on whether Sidney Crosby is joining the team for the upcoming five-game road trip. Dane Muse said Sunday that decision would be made after the matchup against the Boston Bruins.
- Evgeni Malkin is set to miss the third game of his five-game suspension tonight. He won’t be eligible to return until the Penguins rematch against the Hurricanes next week.
- It’s a milestone game for Kyle Dubas, who has served as general manager for 600 career games, per Pens PR. A win tonight would tie him with Steve Yzerman for the 14th-most wins through that milestone with 326 victories.
Pittsburg, PA
Steelers sign breakout star running back
The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t done making moves on the first day of legal tampering. Per Jordan Schultz, the Steelers are signing former Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle. The South Carolina product rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons, averaging just under five yards per rush in each season.
This comes after the Steelers were very active on unofficial beginning of the new league year. They traded for Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr and also signed cornerback Jamel Dean. Internally, they re-signed cornerback Asante Samuel Jr and linebacker Cole Holcomb.
Dowdle now joins Jaylen Warren in the backfield, replacing Kenneth Gainwell, who left for Tampa Bay. On paper, this is one of the better one-two punches at running back in the NFL.
Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!
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